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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman ד׳ · Morning washing of the hands

Netilat Yadayim Sha'harit — sanctifying the hands upon waking
סימן ד׳ · כ״ג סעיפים
דיני נטילת ידים שחרית
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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A first approach to the 23 seifim: vocalized Hebrew text, clear English translation, pedagogical explanations on the berakha, the three pourings, the order right-then-left and the kedushah of the renewed soul — in a register of elevation and holiness, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: The washing of the hands upon waking and the holiness of the day that begins
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ד' · כ״ג סעיפים

Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com

This siman opens the day with an act of kedushah: upon waking, a person receives a renewed soul — חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים — and sanctifies his hands, like the Kohen who washes his hands at the כִּיּוֹר before his service. We study here, at the level of principle, this first act of avodah of the morning. For the cases of doubt (ספקות) and the precise conduct, we refer to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

1. The berakha « על נטילת ידים » — and אשר יצר (Rema, Abudraham)
2. Pouring three times — to remove the רוח רעה
3–5. Before the netila — not touching the orifices; conducts of care
6. No reviit needed — for the netila before the tefillah
7–9. The modalities — pouring into a כלי, not benefiting from the water
10–11. Right before left — and not receiving from one who has not washed
12. Shikhshukh — dipping: valid for tefillah, not for the רוח רעה
13–15. The ספקות — awake at night, before dawn, daytime nap: without berakha
16–17. David and the 60 breaths · rinsing the mouth
18–19. What requires the netila — and the dangers
20–21. Drying well · the מקומות מכוסים before the tefillah
22–23. Without water · the order of the morning berakhot
+ Practical cases and comprehension questions

1. The berakha « על נטילת ידים »

Original text (Seif 1)

יִרְחַץ יָדָיו וִיבָרֵךְ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם. הגה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים גַּם « אֲשֶׁר יָצַר », וַאֲפִילוּ לֹא עָשָׂה צְרָכָיו (וְכֵן נָהֲגוּ) (אבודרהם).

English translation

Let him wash his hands and say the berakha « על נטילת ידים » (« who has commanded us concerning the washing of the hands »). Hagahah of the Rema: and some say also « אשר יצר », even if he has not yet attended to his needs (and such is the custom) [Abudraham].
נְטִילַת יָדַיִם (netilat yadayim) — the « washing of the hands » by pouring water from a vessel. The word netila evokes the נַטְלָא, the vessel with which one pours: it is not a mere rinsing but an instituted act, performed with a כלי (a vessel).
The central idea: the day opens with a berakha. Upon waking, a person prepares to stand before Hashem: he washes his hands and blesses. The Rema adds אֲשֶׁר יָצַר — the berakha that praises Hashem for having formed the body with wisdom — for the whole morning is a praise of the body and the soul returned.

2. Pouring three times — the רוח רעה

Original text (Seif 2)

יְדַקְדֵּק לְעָרוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם מַיִם ג' פְּעָמִים לְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ רָעָה שֶׁשּׁוֹרָה עֲלֵיהֶן.
Let him take care to pour water over his hands three times, to remove the רוח רעה (« the impure spirit ») that rests upon them.
רוּחַ רָעָה (roua'h ra'a) — a « spirit » of impurity that, according to tradition (the Zohar, the Kabbalah), rests upon the hands during sleep. It is removed by pouring water three times, alternating on each hand. This is one of the two great reasons of the morning netila.
The two reasons of the netila: on one hand to remove the רוח רעה (the motive of the three pourings), on the other to sanctify oneself before serving Hashem — « like the Kohen who washes his hands before his service ». These two reasons illuminate the whole siman and will explain the cases of doubt (seifim 13-15).
How one pours (according to the widespread custom):

3–5. Before the netila: care

Original text (Seifim 3–5)

[ג] לֹא יִגַּע בְּיָדוֹ קֹדֶם נְטִילָה לַפֶּה וְלֹא לַחֹטֶם וְלֹא לָאָזְנַיִם וְלֹא לָעֵינַיִם. [ד] אֲפִילוּ מִי שֶׁנָּטַל יָדָיו לֹא יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ ... וְלֹא יִגַּע בִּמְקוֹם הַקָּזָה. [ה] לֹא יִגַּע בְּגִיגִית שֵׁכָר שֶׁמִּשְׁמוּשׁ הַיָּד מַפְסִיד הַשֵּׁכָר.
(Seif 3) Let him not touch, before the netila, his mouth, nose, ears or eyes [while the רוח רעה rests upon the hands]. (Seif 4) Even one who has already washed his hands should avoid certain touchings and not touch a place of bloodletting [out of concern for health]. (Seif 5) Nor should he touch a vessel of beverage [which the contact might spoil].
The care of the morning: before having purified his hands, one refrains from touching the orifices of the face (mouth, nose, ears, eyes), sensitive points. The siman blends, as often, kedushah and the care of the body.

6. No reviit needed

Original text (Seif 6)

אֵין צָרִיךְ רְבִיעִית לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם לִתְפִלָּה.
One does not need a רביעית (a quarter of a log) of water for the netila of the hands before the tefillah.
רְבִיעִית (reviit) — a measure of volume (≈ 86 ml according to the common views). For the netila of the hands before a meal, a certain minimum of water is required; but for the netila of the morning before the tefillah, the Shulchan Aroukh teaches that this measure is not needed.
A more lenient netila: this seif announces a distinction that runs through the whole siman — the netila of sha'harit / tefillah is less demanding in its modalities than the netila of the meal (see seif 7). The principle (to purify, to sanctify) remains; the details differ.

7–9. The modalities: the כלי and the water

Original text (Seifim 7–9)

[ז] טוֹב לְהַקְפִּיד בִּנְטִילַת יָדַיִם שַׁחֲרִית בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים הַמְעַכְּבִים בִּנְטִילַת יָדַיִם לִסְעוּדָה. הגה: מִיהוּ אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב לֹא כְּלִי וְלֹא כֹּחַ גַּבְרָא וּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים הַפּוֹסְלִים בִּנְטִילַת הַסְּעוּדָה (מרדכי, תשובת רשב״א). [ח] נְטִילַת יָדַיִם שַׁחֲרִית אֵין נוֹטְלִין עַל גַּב קַרְקַע אֶלָּא לְתוֹךְ כְּלִי. [ט] מַיִם שֶׁל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם שַׁחֲרִית אָסוּר לֵיהָנוֹת מֵהֶם וְלֹא יִשְׁפְּכֵם בַּבַּיִת וְלֹא בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁעוֹבְרִים שָׁם בְּנֵי אָדָם.
(Seif 7) It is good to be attentive, for the morning netila, to all the requirements of the netila of the meal. Hagahah of the Rema: however, the כלי (the vessel), the כח גברא (the force of the one pouring) and the other conditions that would invalidate the netila of the meal are not indispensable [Mordekhi, responsum of the Rashba]. (Seif 8) For the morning netila, one does not pour directly on the ground but into a vessel. (Seif 9) The water of the morning netila — it is forbidden to derive benefit from it; one does not pour it out in the house nor in a place where people pass.
כֹּחַ גַּבְרָא (koa'h gavra) — « the force of the person »: the water must be poured by the action of a person (and not flow of itself). This is a condition of the netila of the meal; the Rema teaches that it is not indispensable for the morning netila (in its aspect of רוח רעה).
Why collect this water? Because it has removed the רוח רעה, one does not benefit from it and does not pour it out where people walk. This concretely manifests that this water has « carried away » something — a theme proper to the morning netila that distinguishes it from any other.

10–11. Right before left

Original text (Seifim 10–11)

[י] נוֹטֵל כְּלִי שֶׁל מַיִם בְּיַד יְמִינוֹ וְנוֹתְנוֹ לְיַד שְׂמֹאלוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּרִיק מַיִם עַל יְמִינוֹ תְּחִלָּה. [יא] לֹא יִטֹּל מִמִּי שֶׁלֹּא נָטַל יָדָיו שַׁחֲרִית.
(Seif 10) He takes the vessel of water in his right hand and passes it to his left hand, so as to pour the water onto his right hand first. (Seif 11) Let him not receive the netila [the water poured onto his hands] from someone who has not himself done his morning netila.
Why the right first? The right hand (יָמִין) retains a precedence of honor in the mitzvot. One therefore reserves the first water for it. This is the same chashivut ha-yamin (the dignity of the right) as in siman 2 (the order of the shoes).
The order of the gestures: hold the vessel in the right, pass it to the left, pour first onto the right. And the netila is received from a person himself « cleansed » of the morning: purity is transmitted from pure hands.

12. שכשוך — dipping the hands

Original text (Seif 12)

אִם שִׁכְשֵׁךְ יָדָיו לְתוֹךְ כְּלִי שֶׁל מַיִם, עָלְתָה לוֹ נְטִילָה לִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וְלִתְפִלָּה, אֲבָל לֹא לְרוּחַ רָעָה שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם. אִם שִׁכְשֵׁךְ יָדָיו בְּשָׁלֹשׁ מֵימוֹת מְחֻלָּפִים, יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק אִם עָלְתָה לוֹ לְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ רָעָה שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם.
If he dipped his hands into a vessel of water, his netila counts for the reading of the Shema and the tefillah, but not for removing the רוח רעה that is upon them. If he dipped them in three different waters, there is a doubt (ספק) whether that suffices to remove the רוח רעה.
Two levels in one netila: dipping (שכשוך) without pouring from a כלי suffices to prepare for the Shema and the tefillah — that is the « cleanliness / sanctification » aspect. But it does not suffice to remove the רוח רעה, which requires pouring three times. The morning netila thus carries two distinct dimensions.

13–15. The ספקות — without berakha

Cases of doubt — without berakha. Seifim 13 to 15 consider situations where one does not know whether the netila (and the רוח רעה) applies: awake all night, before dawn, daytime nap. In these cases, the Rema rules: one washes the hands without saying the berakha (ספק ברכות להקל). For the precise case, one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

Original text (Seifim 13–15)

[יג] אִם הָיָה נֵעוֹר כָּל הַלַּיְלָה, יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק אִם צָרִיךְ לִטֹּל יָדָיו שַׁחֲרִית. הגה: וְיִטְּלֵם בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה (הרא״ש, רשב״א). [יד] הִשְׁכִּים קֹדֶם עֲמוּד הַשַּׁחַר וְנָטַל יָדָיו, יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק אִם צָרִיךְ לִטֹּל פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת כְּשֶׁיֵּאוֹר הַיּוֹם. הגה: וְיִטְּלֵם בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה. [טו] יָשַׁן בַּיּוֹם, יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק (וְיִטְּלֵם בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה).
(Seif 13) One who remained awake all night: there is a doubt whether he must do the morning netila. Rema: let him wash his hands without a berakha [Rosh, Rashba]. (Seif 14) One who rose before עמוד השחר (the break of dawn) and washed: doubt whether he must do it again when day breaks; let him wash without a berakha. (Seif 15) One who slept during the day: doubt whether he must pour three times; let him wash without a berakha.
The rule of the doubts: whenever there is a ספק about the obligation of the netila or about the רוח רעה, one acts (one washes) but without pronouncing the berakha — according to the principle ספק ברכות להקל (in a doubt over a berakha, one refrains). The gesture is kept; the Name is not uttered in vain.

16–17. David and the 60 breaths · rinsing the mouth

Original text (Seifim 16–17)

[טז] דָּוִד הָיָה נִזְהָר שֶׁלֹּא לִישֹׁן שִׁתִּין נִשְׁמִין (פֵּרוּשׁ: שִׁשִּׁים נְשִׁימוֹת) כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִטְעַם טַעַם מִיתָה. [יז] יֵשׁ נוֹהֲגִין לִרְחֹץ פִּיהֶם שַׁחֲרִית מִפְּנֵי הָרִירִין שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַפֶּה.
(Seif 16) David [the king] took care not to sleep « שיתין נשמין » (that is, sixty breaths) so as not to taste the taste of death [that is, a deep sleep]. (Seif 17) Some have the custom to rinse their mouth in the morning, because of the secretions (רירין) within the mouth.
The eagerness of the morning: these two seifim express the eagerness to serve Hashem from the moment of waking. David did not linger in sleep; and one rinses the mouth to present oneself clean and dignified for the service of the morning. Cleanliness (nekiut) prepares the tefillah.

18–19. What requires the netila · the dangers

Original text (Seif 18)

אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים צְרִיכִים נְטִילָה בְּמַיִם: הַקָּם מֵהַמִּטָּה, וְהַיּוֹצֵא מִבֵּית הַכִּסֵּא, וּמִבֵּית הַמֶּרְחָץ, וְהַנּוֹטֵל צִפָּרְנָיו, וְהַחוֹלֵץ מִנְעָלָיו, וְהַנּוֹגֵעַ בְּרַגְלָיו, וְהַחוֹפֵף רֹאשׁוֹ ... וְהַנּוֹגֵעַ בְּגוּפוֹ בְּיָדוֹ. וּמִי שֶׁעָשָׂה אַחַת מִכָּל אֵלּוּ וְלֹא נָטַל ...
These are the things that require a netila with water: one who rises from bed, who leaves the restroom or the bathhouse, who cuts his nails, who removes his shoes, who touches his feet, who washes his head ... and who touches his body with his hand [at the usually covered places].
Some cases that call for a new netila (Seif 18):

Original text (Seif 19)

הַמַּקִּיז דָּם מֵהַכְּתֵפַיִם וְלֹא נָטַל יָדָיו מְפַחֵד שִׁבְעָה יָמִים. הַמְגַלֵּחַ וְלֹא נָטַל יָדָיו מְפַחֵד ג' יָמִים. הַנּוֹטֵל צִפָּרְנָיו וְלֹא נָטַל יָדָיו מְפַחֵד יוֹם אֶחָד.
(Seif 19) The Shulchan Aroukh underscores the gravity of neglecting the netila after a bloodletting (הקזה), after shaving (גילוח) or cutting the nails — tradition attaches to this a fear (a harmful effect) for a certain number of days.
The seriousness of the netila: these seifim show that the netila is no mere custom: it prepares and protects. For the details of each case, one refers to the ruling of the Rav — the essential here is to retain that certain acts call for washing the hands anew.

20–21. Drying well · the מקומות מכוסים

Original text (Seifim 20–21)

[כ] הָרוֹחֵץ פָּנָיו וְלֹא נִגְּבָם יָפֶה, פָּנָיו מִתְבַּקְּעוֹת אוֹ עוֹלוֹת בָּהֶן שְׁחִין. [כא] צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר בִּתְפִלָּה אוֹ בַּאֲכִילָה (וְעַיֵּן לְעֵיל סִימָן צ״ב) שֶׁלֹּא לִגַּע בְּשׁוֹק וְיָרֵךְ וּבַמְּקוֹמוֹת הַמְכֻסִּים בָּאָדָם, לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מַלְמוּלֵי זֵעָה.
(Seif 20) One who washes his face and does not dry it well risks that his skin will crack or break out; one should therefore take care to dry well. (Seif 21) One must take care, before the tefillah or the meal (see also siman 92), not to touch the leg, the thigh or the usually covered parts of the body, for there are מַלְמוּלֵי זֵעָה (traces of perspiration) there.
מְקוֹמוֹת מְכֻסִּים (mekomot mekhussim) — the « covered places » of the body, where perspiration accumulates (מלמולי זיעה). Before the tefillah or the meal, having touched them requires washing the hands anew, out of concern for cleanliness before Hashem (a direct link to simanim 92 and 164).
Cleanliness before the tefillah: standing before Hashem demands clean hands. Drying well (seif 20), not touching the covered places (seif 21): everything converges toward a nekiut worthy of prayer.

22–23. Without water · the order of the berakhot

Original text (Seifim 22–23)

[כב] אִם אֵין לוֹ מַיִם, יְקַנֵּחַ יָדָיו בִּצְרוֹר אוֹ בְּעָפָר אוֹ בְּכָל מִידֵי דִּמְנַקֵּי, וִיבָרֵךְ « עַל נְקִיּוּת יָדַיִם », וְיוֹעִיל לִתְפִלָּה אֲבָל לֹא לְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ רָעָה שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶן. [כג] לֹא תִּקְּנוּ נְטִילַת יָדַיִם אֶלָּא לִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וְלִתְפִלָּה, אֲבָל בִּרְכוֹת דְּשַׁחֲרִית יָכוֹל לְבָרֵךְ קֹדֶם נְטִילָה, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הוּא יָשֵׁן עַל מִטָּתוֹ עָרוֹם, שֶׁאָז אָסוּר לְהַזְכִּיר אֶת הַשֵּׁם עַד שֶׁיְּנַקֶּה אוֹתָם.
(Seif 22) If he has no water, let him clean his hands with a pebble, with earth or with anything that cleans, and say the berakha « על נקיות ידים » (« on the cleanliness of the hands »); this counts for the tefillah, but not for removing the רוח רעה. (Seif 23) The netila was instituted only for the Shema and the tefillah; the ברכות השחר (morning berakhot) may be said before the netila — unless one slept unclothed, in which case one does not pronounce the Name before having cleaned one's hands.
The institution of the netila: this final seif gives the framework — the morning netila was instituted for the Shema and the tefillah. The morning berakhot themselves may precede it. But cleanliness is required as soon as one pronounces the Name: if one slept unclothed, one first cleans one's hands.
Without water (Seif 22): one cleans the hands with a pebble, with earth or any object that cleans, and blesses עַל נְקִיּוּת יָדַיִם. This permits the tefillah but does not remove the רוח רעה (which requires water poured three times).

Practical cases

Case 1 — The netila upon waking

Situation: one wakes in the morning. How does one perform the netila concretely, and when does one say the berakha?
Conduct: prepare the evening before a vessel (כלי) of water beside the bed. Upon waking, pour three times alternating on each hand (right, left…), up to the wrist, to remove the רוח רעה (seif 2). One refrains beforehand from touching the mouth, nose, ears and eyes (seif 3). As for the berakha על נטילת ידים (and אשר יצר), the custom and the precise timing are settled according to the ruling of the Rav.

Case 2 — Awake all night, daytime nap, before dawn

Situation: one remained awake all night, or took a daytime nap, or rose before dawn.
Conduct: in these cases of doubt (ספקות, seifim 13-15), one washes the hands without saying the berakha (ספק ברכות להקל). For the exact conduct of each situation, one refers to the ruling of the Rav, and one may delve deeper in Level 4 — Daat HaRav.

Case 3 — Without water (travel, hospital)

Situation: upon waking, no water is available (while traveling, in a hospital).
Conduct: one cleans one's hands with whatever cleans (a cloth, a clean material) and says the berakha על נקיות ידים (seif 22). This permits the tefillah, but does not remove the רוח רעה: as soon as one has water, one pours three times.

Case 4 — A new netila during the day

Situation: during the day one cuts one's nails, leaves the bathhouse, or touches the covered parts of the body before praying.
Conduct: certain acts call for a new netila (seif 18); and before the tefillah or the meal, one does not touch the מקומות מכוסים without washing again (seif 21, link to siman 92). The principle: to present oneself for prayer with clean hands. For the details of the cases, one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Which berakha does one say over the morning netila (Seif 1), and what does the Rema add in the name of the Abudraham?
  2. How many times does one pour the water, and why (Seif 2)?
  3. What does one not touch before the netila (Seif 3)?
  4. In what order does one pour over the hands, and why (Seif 10)?
  5. What does the שכשוך (dipping) count for, and what does it not count for (Seif 12)?
  6. In the cases of doubt (Seifim 13-15), does one do the netila with or without a berakha?
  7. Name three acts that require a new netila (Seif 18).
  8. Without water, what does one do and which berakha does one say (Seif 22)?

To go further

If you want to delve deeper into this siman:
Back to the previous siman← Siman 3
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